What's your favorite tube amp?

mgalusha · « **Reply #40 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 01:53 am »

Currently I have 5 tube amps but the favorites among them are the Consonance Cyber 211 SET.

McIntosh MC275 running full balanced mode with Lundahl transformers doing the phase splitting.

I am also very fond of my oddball OTL, more or less a Futterman type but not quite. 100WPC and yeah, it will heat the room nicely. Affectionately known as Big Red.

JoshK · « **Reply #41 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 02:21 am »

I'm loving my AudioPrism Debut II that I bought off Wes.

Of course, I love my homemade KT88 SE-UL amp too.

SET Man · « **Reply #42 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 02:39 am »

Hey!

These beauties have been my favorite for 10 years now

A pair of Welborne Labs "Apollo" SET monoblocks with KR Audio 842VHD output tube and GE 6EA7/6EM7 driver tube. Putting out 18w/ch. I bought them as a kit back in December 1999.

Look at them now I can't believe that I still have them and I still like the way the sound to me.

But the price of the KR tube cost now really worry me, how much will they cost 10 years from now or will there be available?

Anyway, they are still my favorite 10 years after.

Take care,
Buddy

mgalusha · « **Reply #43 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 03:13 am »

I am lovin' all the tube pr0n...

Len_Dreyer · « **Reply #44 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 04:17 am »

I really love my Vaughan Audio Carina.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #45 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 05:06 am »

"What's your favorite tube amp? "

I'm mostly a SS amp owner....but I do own this....

That would be the KR Audio VA320....also known as the "Baby Kronzilla".
20 watts....single ended Class A.....with just two tubes.

Guess I'm not really into tube rolling....

But....a tube mono-block setup I heard at RMAF that I enjoyed was the 50 watt Mastersound Final 845 Mono Blocks...nice stuff !!

woofersus · « **Reply #46 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 03:11 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 22 Apr 2010, 02:39 am

Hey!

These beauties have been my favorite for 10 years now

A pair of Welborne Labs "Apollo" SET monoblocks with KR Audio 842VHD output tube and GE 6EA7/6EM7 driver tube. Putting out 18w/ch. I bought them as a kit back in December 1999. Look at them now I can't believe that I still have them and I still like the way the sound to me. But the price of the KR tube cost now really worry me, how much will they cost 10 years from now or will there be available?

Anyway, they are still my favorite 10 years after.

Take care,
Buddy

Love the look of those!

srb · « **Reply #47 on:** 22 Apr 2010, 04:17 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 22 Apr 2010, 02:39 am

A pair of Welborne Labs "Apollo" SET monoblocks with KR Audio 842VHD output tube and GE 6EA7/6EM7 driver tube. Putting out 18w/ch. I bought them as a kit back in December 1999. Look at them now I can't believe that I still have them and I still like the way the sound to me. But the price of the KR tube cost now really worry me, how much will they cost 10 years from now or will there be available?

Buddy, I see a pair of tubes are $480 and guaranteed for 2 years. I assume you've replaced them at least once? Just curious what the lifespan is. It would be a shame to have to toss them in the future for lack of tubes, maybe you should get a set to put away? (I know, ouch!)

Steve

mgalusha · « **Reply #48 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 12:49 am »

Quote from: zmanastronomy on 22 Apr 2010, 03:28 am

mgalusha,
What's your impressions of the otl amps. Are they one up on the transformer amps?

I like them very much. They are different than a transformer coupled amp, they seem somehow quicker and airier. I have to admit not listening to it for about 6 months or so, I've been enjoying the SET sound a lot. However, that amp is sitting right outside the music room door and calls to me every time I walk by it. I need to get it hooked back up one of these soon days, especially before summer hits. It can really generate some heat. 300 watts just to light the tubes and about 550W at idle. Not quite as much as the big MA1 since there are less tubes but still a power hungry bugger.

These are kind of an oddball. A guy built 25 of them, sold them and that was it. He has since done a few others. Info can be found here: http://www.1212designs.com/OTL-20_Stereo_Amp/default.htm

I have modified them a bit but not greatly. Still much room for experimentation.

SET Man · « **Reply #49 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 03:40 am »

Quote from: srb on 22 Apr 2010, 04:17 pm

Buddy, I see a pair of tubes are $480 and guaranteed for 2 years. I assume you've replaced them at least once? Just curious what the lifespan is. It would be a shame to have to toss them in the future for lack of tubes, maybe you should get a set to put away? (I know, ouch!)

Steve

Hey!

Actually they used to be $480pr 10 years ago.

The current price is $1100pr.

The amps came with a pair of 300BXLS back in 1999. But I swicthed to 842VHD in 2000. I just replaced those back in mid 2008. The old 842VHD had 7 years on them with almost daily use during those years. To my surprise they still sound very good, but slightly softer than the new pair. So, to me at least these tubes should last me 7-10 years. They are extremely well made and proved to last.

Of course I do have another pair I bought back in late 2008... a current version of the 842VHD that I bought 1 day before the price went up to $980pr (now they are $1100pr) stashed up in the closet, got them at $695pr.

I'm not really worry about the lack of tubes for my amp in the future. I think KR Audio will likely be there 10 years from now when I will need to buy a new pair. Of course the back up plan would be modify my amps to take 300B tube, I've talk to the guy who sold me the tube and he said it can be done. The 842VHD are very similar to the 300B. I will loose power doing that. But I will have one hell of over built 300B amps.

Take care,
Buddy

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #50 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 04:29 am »

Buddy....

"Of course I do have another pair I bought back in late 2008... a current version of the 842VHD that I bought 1 day before the price went up to $980pr (now they are $1100pr) stashed up in the closet, got them at $695pr."

The closet...hmmm...good to know in case I need another pair....

SET Man · « **Reply #51 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 04:51 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 23 Apr 2010, 04:29 am

Buddy....

"Of course I do have another pair I bought back in late 2008... a current version of the 842VHD that I bought 1 day before the price went up to $980pr (now they are $1100pr) stashed up in the closet, got them at $695pr."

The closet...hmmm...good to know in case I need another pair....

Hey!

Sorry Chris, as long as I have my SET amps those tubes are not for sale

Oh! I think I better lock my closet if you are going to come over too

Take care,
Buddy

JakeJ · « **Reply #52 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 10:21 am »

Far be it from me to hog my tube porn to myself. My Dyna/Curcio Mark IIIs.

And in the dark my VAC PA-160s look like this.

And, of course, the vintage stack.

JohnR · « **Reply #53 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 10:55 am »

Very nice, Jake. Which driver board is that on the Mk IIIs?

And is that an unused ST-20 I see there in your stack? Oh my.

zybar · « **Reply #54 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 03:34 pm »

Quote from: arthurs on 22 Apr 2010, 12:47 am

I am hoping the same George....I do have a guest room for you and your amps!

Art,

No problem with me getting down there, but I don't think the airlines are equipped to handle the MA-1's.

George

JakeJ · « **Reply #55 on:** 23 Apr 2010, 06:01 pm »

Quote from: JohnR on 23 Apr 2010, 10:55 am

Very nice, Jake. Which driver board is that on the Mk IIIs?

And is that an unused ST-20 I see there in your stack? Oh my.

I rebuilt the Dynaco Mk IIIs with Joe Curcio's (aka The Dynaco Doctor) complete premium kit. Details here.

The Leak is an ST-50, actually, in very fine condition. Thanks for asking.

Just to the right of it is a pair of The Fisher 55As that I'd like to rebuild next. However I need to get my storage shed built and my house re-roofed this summer. The shed is a high priority since my pay-for-storage just raised the rent.

DARTH AUDIO · « **Reply #56 on:** 24 Apr 2010, 08:06 pm »

My 6 year old Jolida JD3000 200 watt mono's!!

doug s. · « **Reply #57 on:** 25 Apr 2010, 11:13 pm »

i have quite a few tube amps, most low powered, a couple home brew. two are different - my audio mirror 6c33c based mono blocks. these are easily the best "eye candy" (mine actually look better, imo, older editions, with "eye-tubes" on the front panel, for turn-on):

but, if i had to get rid of all my amps but one, i would keep my mesa baron, cuz it's such a wersatile all-'rounder, doing everything well, imo. dual mono, 55wpc full triode, 150wpc full pentode, two intermediate settings at 85 & 125wpc, plus negative feedback settings of -8db, -4db, -2db, or zero, this amp will work w/most any speaker in most any room.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Out_of%20_Production/The_Baron/the_baron.htm

doug s.

SteveFord · « **Reply #58 on:** 25 Apr 2010, 11:19 pm »

Lot of cool stuff on this site. That Mesa and Jolida really interest me...

jermmd · « **Reply #59 on:** 25 Apr 2010, 11:54 pm »

Quote from: arthurs on 21 Apr 2010, 11:18 pm

I sure do enjoy my pair of these....

But have also been feeling the bug to hear some OTL's in my system...maybe soon?

Those are my dream amps. I think I heard George's Atmospheres when he had a New England Audio Revolution gathering but I'm not sure. My focus was the Vandy 5A's at the time. I've never owned a tube amp but I heard those VAC's matched with Von Schweikert speakers and they were really fantastic.